Looseleaf binder



Aug. l, 1967 N. L.. HUFFAKER LOOSELEAF BINDER Filed May 9, 1966 United States Patent O 3,333,592 LODSELEAF BINDER Norman L. Huiaker, 5400 Bewdley Road,

Richmond, Va. 23226 Filed May 9, 1966, Ser. No. 548,644 1 Claim.V (Cl. 129-24) This invention relates to improvements in looseleaf binders of the character used for holding punched sheets.

Looseleaf binders of the character used heretofore, constructed with rings to receive thereon multiple punched sheets, either for holding a stack of sheets of equal size, or multiple punched visible sheets, have'been expensive in construction, due to the complexity thereof or the size of the rings and the operation of the latter. Most binders have the same number of rings as perforations but this is not required as the rings may fit in alternate or spaced perforations and either in pairs or uniformly spaced.

Each ring is usually in two parts and so mounted that each part thereof is movable in opening and closing. Usually some means is provided to facilitate the opening or closing of the parts of each ring. No practical, inexpensive binder has been provided heretofore, to my knowledge, for holding relatively thin packs of sheets as, for example, one-quarter inch or one-half inch, and which may be opened and closed readily for individual removal of particular sheetsin the pack.

One object of this invention is to overcome the objections heretofore encountered in looseleaf binders and t provide an inexpensive binder which may, if desired, accommodate a relatively small capacity. t

Another object of the invention is to improve the construction of ring binders to permit separate sheets to be Withdrawn or inserted Without removing all of the sheets.

Still another object of the invention is to provide in a ring binder for movement of one set of ring segments While the other set of ring segments remain fixed in position so that the former may be opened to facilitate insertion or removal of sheets and wherein the segments do not meet in the center, but have alternate olf-center meeting points so as to retain the sheets against disengagement with the ring segments during the insertion or removal of individual sheets.

These objects may be accomplished, according to one embodiment of the invention, by providing a base plate having two sets of ring segments spaced at intervals along the respective opposite edges thereof and coacting to form rings so as to receive looseleaf sheets through punched holes in the sheets. The ring segments on one edge of the base plate are fixed thereto and may be formed integral with the plate when made of plastic or other suitable formable material. The ring segments at the opposite edge are connected together in a series capable of swinging motion as, for example, being attached to a rotatable rod `or shaft that extends through a bearing portion of the base plate and having means connected with the shaft for manipulating the latter for opening and closing the segments at this side with respect to the segments of the opposite side of the base plate.

To accommodate punched sheets, the rings may be arranged in pairs or uniformly spaced. While the spacing of the rings is optional, it is preferred that the rings be arranged in pairs, either adjacent to each other or separated, with the pairs of Irings spaced along the length of the base of the binder. Preferably, the rings meet off-center so that the sheets will be retained on the xed or immovable segments of the rings when the movable segments are opened with respect thereto, thus preventing dislodgement :of the sheets from all of the rings and effectively maintaining the sheets in place even when the binder is open.

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This embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the back portion of the binder vhaving the sheet retaining means according to this invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial top plan view thereof;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation thereof, with the rings closed;

FIG. 4 is a similar view showing the rings openj FIG. 5 is a cross section through the back portiony of the binder on the line 5-5 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is an end elevation showing a moditication of the binder.

The invention is illustrated in the drawings as applied to a binder having covers 1 made of suitable flexible or rigid material, as desired. The covers 1 may be made in =one piece and extend continuously across the base of of the binder, as desired. A base plate is indicated at 2 and extends transversely of the covers 1 substantially throughout the Width thereof. The base plate 2 may be secured in any suitable manner to the covers 1 as, for example, by fastenings, such as rivets 3 extending through the base plate at desired points along the length thereof and through the sheet forming the covers 1.

At one edge, the base plate 2 is provided with an upturned flange 4 extending along the length thereof, while the opposite edge of the base plate 2 is also bent up and back upon itself to form an inverted U-shaped channel 5 extending along the length of the base plate 2. A rod or shaft 6 is housed within the channel 5 and rotatable with respect thereto. The channel 5 thus forms a bearing support for the rod or shaft 6.

The base plate forms a support for rings which are spaced Valong the length of the base plate. Each of the rings is formed in two segments, a iixed segment bein-g secured in any suitable manner in rigid relation to an edge of the base plate 2 as, for example, by being welded to the ange 4 if the 'base plate be of metal or formed in one piece with the base plate of plastic or other suitable material.

' The other -ring segment is fixed rigidly to the rod or shaft 6, extending into a notch -7 in the channel 5 for freedom of swinging motion with respect to the latter upon rotation of the rod or shaft 6.

A fixed ring segment is indicated at 8 and a movable ring segment is indicated at 9. The opposed abutting ends of these segments 8 and 9 yare adapted to contact each other at the point indicated at 10. It is preferred that the rings :be arranged in pairs, with the several pairs spaced adjacent each other or at intervals along the length of the base plate 2.

A second fixed t ing segment is shown -at 8' and a second movable ring segment is shown at 9 forming the secon-d ring of each pair. The ring segments 8' and 9 abut at their ends at 10. When the rings are thus disposed in pairs as thus illustrated, it is preferred that the abutting points 10 and 10 be located on opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the sets of rings so that. at least some of the fixed segments will project through more than Ihalf of the arc of the rings, thus to Ifacilitate the retaining of the sheets against 'dislocation when the movable segments are opened to insert or remove a particular sheet or set of sheets. The rings disposed in pairs, as described, vafford a cam action as the sheets are shifted from one side to another, thereby preventing a sheet from slipping through a gap in the ends of the rings.

The movable segments are opened by rotation of the rod or shaft 6. Where the binder is of rela-tively small capacity as, for example, when holding from one-quarter inch to one-half inch stack of sheets, t-he rings should 'be suiciently small so that it would not be practical to open the movable segments by grasping and pulling on 11 in one position and thus retain the Irings closed. I

have illustrated an opstanding post 12 supported by the base plate 2 and which post 12 has a cam face 12' and a notch 13 therein forming a keeper for receiving the arm 11 and thereby retaining the.arm inclosed position luntil it is forced out of the notch 13 to move the shaft.

It is often desirable to provide sheet litters for -ring binders, as indicated at 14 in FIG. 6. Where these are to be used to assist in moving the sheets from one side to the other of the binder or when the Ibinder is closed, provision should be made for guiding the sheet lifters.

Such guiding means is illustrated in FIG. 6 as including web partitions 15 extending from side-to-side ofthe base plate 2 and spaced along the length of the base plate at suitable or desired intervals. As an example, four such web partitions 15 may be employed, being uniformly spaced along the length of the base plate. These web partitions 15 will serve to retain the sheet litters and assist in movement of the sheets from one side to the other.

The use of the ring binder will be apparent from the foregoing description. It may be .made inexpensively, in small sizes to .hol-d one-quarter inch or one-half inch stack of sheets, and preferably not over one inch in thickness. Nevertheless, the sheets can be inserted and removed and transferred from one side to the other without danger of a single sheet slipping out of the binder through the meeting ends of the ring segments. It is economical in construction and may be made of metal, plastic or other suitable material.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in one embodiment, it is recognized that variations and changes may be made therein without departing from the invention set forthin the claim.

I claim:

A ring binder comprising: Y

an elongated back plate adapted to be secured to a cover;

a plurality of rings extending transversely of the back plate and spaced apart adjacent opposite ends thereof and intermediate the ends thereof adapted to receive perforated sheets thereon to a maximum Vthickness of about one inch;

each of said rings including a fixed segment of one length and a movable segment of a different length Vequal to approximately the length of the fixed segments of adjacent rings;

said fixed segments and said movable segments of each ring having 'abutting ends therebetween with the back plate;

a shaft extending along the opposite edge of the back plate and having the movable segments xed there- -to and extending upright therefrom;

said back plate having an inverted U-shaped channel thereon receiving the shaft substantially throughout the length of the back plate and mounting the shaft against endwise movement and for rotation;

said U-shaped mounting channel having notchesV through which the movable segments extend, the width of said notches being substantially equal to the thickness of the respective movable segments whereby swinging movement of the movable segments with respect to the back plate upon rotation of the shaft is confined to a plane extending transversely of the back plate through the respective fixed segments;

an integral operator lever connected with Aan end portion of the shaft spaced from the plurality of rings for rockin-g the shaft to open and close the movable segments;

an upright post on the back plate having a cam face extending downwardly from the upper end thereof and a notch immediately below said cam faceV in position for engagement by the lever for releasably holding the lever in said notch in an oblique position relative tothe back plate when the ends of the ring segments of each yring are in abutment with the end of the lever at an elevation approximately equal to the height of the top of the rings so as to provide a handle for leverage; and

upright web partitions extending transversely of the back plate, said partitions extending upwardly from the back plate with their upper edges at an elevation equal to the height of said inverted U-shaped channel and forming sheet lifters thereon.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS JEROME sCHNALL, Primary Examiner.Y 

